Electric switching device.



P. W HARRIS. I ELECTRIC SWITGHING DEVICE.

. APILIUATION FILED mum, 190s. 975,41 8. Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

2 SEEETS-fiHEET l.

WITNESSES INVENTQH 'ATTGRNEY P. W. HARRIS. ELBGTRIG SWITCHING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAILQ, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 WETNESSES:

Patented N0v.15, 1910.

UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE.

W. HARRIS, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO WESTINGI-IOUSE ELECTRIC 8: MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EAST PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

7 ELECTRIC SWITCHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 15, 1910.

Application filed March 9, 1908; Serial No. 420,061.

To all whom it may concern:

Be known that I, FORD W. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Switchin Devices, of which the following is a spec' cation.

My invention relates to switching devices for electric circuits, and it has special reference to'lectrically operated switches that are adapted for the interruption of relatively high-voltage lines...

The object of my invention is to provide adevice of the class above indicated that shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, and'be capable of remote control and, at the same time, be adapted to interrupt high-' volta e circuits in the open a r.

' a pair of stationary upon for interrupting the circuits It 18 sometimes advantageous to entirely interrupt the circuitswhich connect switchboards and electrical apparatus within substations and. like buildings to high-voltage transmission lines, in order to safely inspect and repair the oil-immersed or other indoor circuit breakers which are usually relied under overloads and similar conditions that render such action necessary or desirable.

According to my present invention, I provide an'electrically operated switch which maybe mounted in the open air at the top of a 'pole' where it is out of reach of the ignorant and curious and where little or no damage can result from the arcs that occur when Very high-voltage circuits are interrupted. This switch comprises, in general,

. are supported on porcelain insulators of a sulator that is, located between the other two.

well "known type and almovable contact and is rotatably mounted so that the movable member may either bridge the air-gap between the stationary contact members or be se arated from each of them by a material istance.-

, -Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation of a switching device constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of the device, at right angles to that of Fig. 1. Fi 3 is a plan View of the operating mechamsm of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a d1a contact members which grammatieplan view of'one system of circuit connections by which the device of the other figures may be operated and con:

trolled, and Fig. 5 .is a plan view of the contact terminals and insulators shown in lugs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and f) of the drawings, the device-herein illustrated com-.

prises stationary contact members 1 and 2,

a movable bridging contact member 3, an

operating mechanism a and a stationary frame 5 vwhich includes a casing 6 for the operating mechanism. The stationary frame 5 may be secured to the top of a pole 7 by.

lator 10. of any well known. high voltage type, by means of a cap 11, the lower extremity of the rod being bentat right angles to its body and inserted in a loop projection 12 with which the cap is provided. The insulutors 10 are mounted, in the usual man-' her. on pins 13 which are secured to, and project upwardly from, the outer ends ofthe supporting frame The frame 5 has the general form of a cross arm and is preferably constructed of cast iron.

The movable contact member comprises a resilient arm 1i having rods 15 projecting upwardly and outwardly fromits ends and it is secured substantially atits middle point to the top of an insulator 16 which is affixed to a rotatably mounted vertical shaft 17. T he portion of the shaft 17 which is between the insulator 1(3 and the frame 5 is protected by a hard insulating-tube or bushin; 1h that is sealed to the frame so that the operating mechanism may be rotected, as

.far as possible, from the e ects of the weather. The ,tube- 18 is preferably constructed oi insulating material rather than i of metal, in order to avoid the induction of static-fields which would otherwise obtain and, since the tube forms a watertight joint with the frame and extends well up under the petticoat of the insulator 16. the possibilityof damaging the. mechanism by dampness or rain is excluded.

' T he operating mechanism i comprises an electro-magnetlS), which is rotatably mounted in a horizontal plane between a pair of Cit stationary pin projections that extend inwardly from the \Vtlll of the casing (3 and are in a line parallel to the axis of the shaft. 17 and at some distance from it, and an op crating lever 21 which is secured to the shaft. 17 and is pivotally connected at its outer end to a projection 22 from a relatively movable core member 2-3 of the electro-magnct it), (see Fig. 3). The core member 23 is guided in its movement by the projections 24.- of a casing 25 which surrounds the winding of the electro-magnet and is rotatably mounted, as above indicated.

An arm 20 projects from the lower end of the shaft 17 in a direction substantially opposite to that of the lever 2t and its outer end is connected to a stationary projection 27 of the frame 5 by means of a spring 28, one end of the spring being attached to the projection 27. in line with the pivotal axis of the electro-magnet 19 and the other end being secured to a pin 29 that projects from the free end of the arm 2-6.

'lhe movable cor'e member makes a close sliding titwithin a tube 38 the outer end of which is provided with aplug 39 having a check valve. 40 to permit air to flow only in an outward direction, a dashpot action being thereby produced to retard the outwardniovemcntof the core member. h'mcethe magnet 1,!) s rotatably mounted, its winding is connectedto the auxihary circuits of the device-by-.tlexible leads (see Figs. 1 and 4). i

The shaft 17 is provided with an insulated auxiliary switch contact arm 30 which engages the one or the other of two stationary contact members 3 and 32, according as the main switch occupies its open or its closed position.

The operation of the dcviccis as follows: Assuming that the main switch occupies its closed position, as hown in Figs. 1, i2 and 5, and that the operating mechanism and the auxiliary switch are arranged as shown in Figs. 3 and i; if itiisdcsired to interrupt the circuit \vhichis completed through bridging contact'member 3, the eleclro-magnet 15) is' energized, and the movable core member 223 is actuated to produce such rotative movement of the shaft 17 as will place the spring 28 under tension. This clcctro-magm-lic iniflucnce is sutlicicnt to cause. an initial rotation of the moving parts which have considerablc inertia, since they are relatively heavy,

and the pin 2% on the arm it) is carried across a horizontal line through the axes of rotation of the elect-ro-magnet l2) and. the shaft 17 so that the tension 01 the spring tends to produce a still greater degree of rotation 9f the shaft 1?. In this way, the operatiiig contact arm 3 is moved, through an angle of l substantially 90, from a position of engagement with the stationary contact members to one of maximum separation therefrom, the

'rent through the lamp which engagementv with the "contact member '3 tained until the control switch '33 isdnioved being electrically operated, and is .capabe'ofg;

final movement. being retarded by the dash- 1 pot action above described. a r 7 The function of the au'kiliary switch is illustrated in Fig. t, to which special reference. may now be had. A inanually operated control switch 33 and indicating lamps 34 and 35. preferably of different colors, may. l A be locatedv at any distance from the discon necting switch and usually within the substation or at some other point where they may be readily accessible to an attendant. If the auxiliary switch 30 occupies the posi== tion shown in Fig. st, and the control switch 33 is moved to position :12, a circuit is estebilished from one terminal; of a-tbatteryjiiti iso through electro-magnet 19, switch arm .30,} contact member 31, conductor 37,1md switch 33 to the opposite terminal ofthegbattery u. branch circuit of relatively. highiresistanoe being established througlrconductq 1 the indicating lamp 34 to the'batt'e'ry ternii nal. It will be understood thatthe resist ance of the circuit containing theflswitch is such as to insure the passage ofSd ie [Is Co ne ted. 1o. parallel circuit with the switch. The electro 1nagnet l9 being thus energized, the'i'nain disconnecting switch will moved toi open position, as above indicated, and the. auxiliary switch arm 30 willibe moved i nto-tis I The new positions of the two are indicated by thelamp 35,

to position Movement-of the switch33 a) position ywill permit the battery to a' 'ain energize the magnet 19 sufiiciently' to e operation of the main and auxiliary switches in the reverse order to that just described.

It will be readily understood, by thosefamiliar with the art, that thelci'rcuit-breaker illustrated is adapted for very highvolt-age circuits and-that it has also the 'advanta e of;

remote control as well as being very cheapjllO and simple in construction.

Itwill be understood that various structural modificationsmay be effected in the-4'; device illustrated in the drawings without departing from the spirit of my inventi0n,., and I therefore desire that only such limits; I tions shall be imposed as are indicated-in'the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a. switching device, the combination with a supporting frame, pins projecting upwardly from the ends thereof and provided with insulators, and stationary contact memlmrsqirojecting upwardly from said in'sula tors,- ol'a'n ijiis'ulator rotatably mounted su-bstantigtll; fmidway between the stationary contact members, a bridging member secured to tlic rotatable insulator and provided with, upwardly projecting arms which. aredidapb- 4 ed to make sidewise engagement with f creme stationery contact. members, a spring one 111;; to liolrl the bridging member at one eml of c 90" are ol rotation, curlelectromagnetic means for effecting eninitlsl rot-alive 1,. cw mentof said bridging member from either of its extreme positions. U

In a switching device, the combination with a hollow supporting frame, two insulw tors secured thereto :fnel projecting upwardly therefrom, and stationary contact members projecting upwardly from said insulators, of a rotateloly mounted lntermeclietc insulator, a cooperating bridging member secured to the rotatably mounted insulator and pro" vided with upwardly projecting contact arms which are adapted to make sidewise engagement with said stationary contact members, eml operctin means disposed in said hollow supporting l'alllfi.

3. Inc switching device, the combination with a hollow supporting frame pins projecting upwardly therefrom amiprovided with insulators, and horn-shaped stationary contact members proiecting upwardly from said insulators, or? e, 3 left rotatably mounted between the stationary insulators and pro jecting into the hollow so )porting frame, an insulator mounteo on sei slmfin'c bridging member oicure to the rotatable insulator and provillell with upwardly projecting arms yvhielr ere edeptell to make sidewise engagement with said stationary; members, and means (lisposed in t e hollow frame for producing a rotative movement of the shaft through an angle of substantially ninety degrees.

4:. In it switching device, the combination with supporting frame, two insulators secured thereto and prqectlng upwardly therefrouu-and l'zorn shsrpecl stationary contact members projecting upwardly from'sald insuletors,.of a, rotatably mounted interme- (llute insulator, acoopemting movable brldg ting member secured to said rotctaloly mount ed insulator curl having upwardly project-..

lug contact arms Wlllfill are adopted to make contact I sirlewise engagement with said stationery Contact members, remotely controlled means' upwardly projecting contact arms, a spring tending to hold the bridging member at one end of a ninety degree are of rotetion, a le-,

ver arm projecting laterally from said shaft, on electromagnet rot-stably mounteel with its axis parallel to that of the shaft and having o movallle contact member connectedto the-laterally projecting lever arm.

6, In re switchlng device, the combination with e riclror stationery contact members, a

shaft rotatably mounted. between salclxnernhers, o hollow supporting frnrne for the aforesaid parts, c petticoet insulator mounted on the outer enol of the shaft, and smov: able contact member secured to the insulator,

of on lnsulatlngtulue surrounding the shaft and melting" e Water-tight joint w th the supportlngfreme curl extending under the pet-' tlcoct of the insulator, operating meansvfor producing initial rotatlon'of the movable member, a spring tending to complete the motion through a ninety degree are, and e daslrpot for retarcling the final movement.

In testimony whereof, I hove hereunto subscribed my name this 21st (lay of Febrn cry, 190s.

FORD W. HARRIS.

VVitnesses:-

BIRNEY Hmre, HERBERT FABER, 

